What they're saying about Ravens QB Joe Flacco's contract

Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images

Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy following their 34-31 win against the Baltimore Ravens during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Joe Flacco #5 of the Baltimore Ravens holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy following their 34-31 win against the Baltimore Ravens during Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)

"Did the Ravens overpay him? Certainly. Should Flacco get paid more than Tom Brady and Peyton Manning? No way. But those questions are really irrelevant when it comes to contracts in the NFL, which is all about timing. When Flacco hoisted the Lombardi trophy 26 days ago, he essentially had the Ravens in the palm of his hand as well as having the leverage."

"Flacco torching his opponents down the stretch made him millions. It was, if you'll forgive a phrase that was worn out whenever George Clooney started sliding portside, a perfect storm for the Ravens quarterback."

"Flacco did not merely state last spring that he saw himself as the league's best quarterback, his actions suggested similarly. Contract talks died last summer with Flacco rejecting a deal that averaged in the $14 million-per-year range, which at the time seemed fair but at significantly less than the elite scale. Essentially, Flacco gambled on himself. And won. The new deal clinched it."

"No longer is he stuck proving that he can win the big game; instead, he’ll spend the next several seasons under the financial microscope, his naysayers now turning their attention to how he performs in relation to Manning, Brady and Aaron Rodgers."

"The Ravens have a plan, and locking down Flacco first was part of it. But it was just the first step. There are others that must be made between now and the start of free agency. With Flacco's contract out of the way, the Ravens can get started."